Sports / Recreation

Revived Rams face fifth-ranked Frogs

The Rams, fresh off a pulsating 36-34 win over Idaho, take on No. 5 TCU at noon Saturday at Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium in the Mountain West Conference opener for both teams.

Fresh off their first victory of the season, the Colorado State University Rams take center stage Saturday in the chase for the national championship when they host fifth-ranked TCU in a noon Mountain West Conference game at Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium.

Horned Frogs are championship contenders

Raymond Carter topped 100 yards on the ground and through the air last Saturday against Idaho.

TCU is the highest-ranked team to play at Hughes, matching the No. 5 ranking of the University of Colorado in 1996. The Horned Frogs (4-0) come into the game as one of a handful of teams given a legitimate chance to compete for a national title at season’s end, and need a victory to keep their championship hopes alive.

TCU features one of the best quarterbacks in the country in Andy Dalton, a four-year starter. The Frogs also boast one of the nation’s most-feared defenses.

Thomas, Carter leading the way

CSU, meanwhile, enters its MWC opener with momentum after rallying last week for a 36-34 win over Idaho in its home debut. Freshman quarterback Pete Thomas drove the Rams 66 yards in 12 plays to set up Ben DeLine’s game-winning 35-yard field goal on the game’s final play.

Thomas, who completed 29 of 36 passes for 386 yards and three touchdowns in the finest performance of his young career, was named the MWC’s offensive player of the week for his efforts. Thomas, who has yet to turn 19, is 21st nationally with 270.2 passing yards per game.
While Thomas was having a breakout performance at quarterback, junior Raymond Carter made huge contributions as a runner and receiver, topping 100 yards on the ground and through the air. He became the first back since Lawrence “The Clutch” McCutcheon in 1970 to accomplish that feat.

Fairchilds supporting Cans Around the Oval

Rams coach Steve Fairchild and wife, Nancy, will be doing their part to boost the annual Cans Around the Oval food drive by donating 10 cents for every fan in attendance. Nancy Fairchild and other coaches’ wives will be accepting donations of canned food, both at the gates and at Ram Town prior to the game. Fans bringing a minimum of three cans will receive a voucher for two-for-one tickets to the Oct. 14 CSU-TCU volleyball match at Moby Arena.

Tickets still available

Tickets are available by calling (970) 491-7267, online, or at the stadium.

Moment of silence

The athletic department will remember the late Anthony Cesario on Saturday with a moment of silence before kickoff. Cesario, 34, passed away tragically Saturday night. He was an All-American as a senior at CSU in 1998 before the Jacksonville Jaguars selected him in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft. More

Every member of the current CSU football team is signing a customized card for Cesario’s family. The card will be delivered by director of operations Tom Ehlers and Larry Kerr, CSU’s longtime defensive coordinator who recruited Cesario to CSU.